1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a base assembly used during the game of baseball or softball and a method of using same, and, more particularly, to such a base assembly is adjustable with respect to the minimum amount of lateral force imparted to the side of the base when a player slides into the base to cause the base to break away.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Base assemblies that are not adjustable but are fixedly attached or locked to the playing surface and will not breakaway are well known. These non-breakaway base assemblies have a base fixedly mounted to a base mounting member and are not released in response to lateral force applied to the base. Such non-breakaway base assemblies are generally only used in professional baseball leagues and the like.
Break away safety base assemblies are also well known and are generally used only in amateur league play in which the players may be less skilled at “sliding in to base”. Such safety base assemblies have a base releasably secured to the playing surface of the ball field by means of a releasable base mounting member. The releasable mounting member enables the base to separate from the releasable base mounting member when a player slides into the side of the base, to reduce the risk of injury that could otherwise result when using a non-breakaway base assembly. Commonly, such breakaway base assemblies are not adjustable with respect to the amount of minimum lateral force that must be imparted to the base to cause it to break away.
It is also known to provide such a breakaway safety base assemblies with a mounting member that is more resistant to breaking away when engaged by a force in one direction as opposed to another direction. However, a problem with such a known adjustable breakaway safety base assembly is that the adjustment is only possible in two of the four possible directions from which the base may be struck. The minimum breakaway threshold force for both sides of one of the pairs of adjacent sides are at the same one force level, and the breakaway threshold force for both sides of the remaining pair of adjacent sides are at the same level that is different from the one force level. Another disadvantage of this known adjustable breakaway base is that the breakaway mechanism depends upon the distortion of flexible interconnecting members that may vary from one composition to the next and which may change over time due to decomposition and mechanical fatigue and are susceptible to damage from regular use.
In known non-breakaway base assemblies that preclude breakaway action, there is no possibility of adjustment to enable breakaway, and such locked base assemblies lack the ability as may be needed to selectively enable either breakaway action or not.